The present invention is directed to an improved grain wagon of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,265 which issued to the Assignee of the present invention and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. As generally disclosed in this patent, a grain receiving hopper or container is mounted on a wheel supported frame having a hitch connected to a tow vehicle or tractor. The grain wagon includes an inclined grain discharge auger having an outer section pivotally connected to a lower section and moved by a hydraulic cylinder between a stored position adjacent the front wall of the container and a forwardly and laterally outwardly projecting position for unloading grain from the container. The outer section of the inclined auger has a downwardly projecting discharge spout through which the grain is discharged from the auger into a semi-trailer located adjacent the grain wagon.
It has been known to connect a flexible discharge tube to an auger discharge spout so that the tube depends from the spout. As grain is unloaded from the grain wagon into an adjacent open top semi-trailer, a person standing on the trailer or on the grain within the trailer can move the flexible tube so that the semitrailer may be fully loaded and "topped-off" by rounding the grain at the top of the semitrailer. However, the maneuvering of the flexible tube requires an additional person on or within the semi-trailer or the operator of the tractor must step down and climb up on the semi-trailer. Such additional person or operator time adds to the cost of transferring the grain from the wagon to the trailer.
It has been found desirable to provide a grain wagon with a foldable unloading auger such as disclosed in above-mentioned Pat. No. 5,340,265 and wherein the auger has a moveable and power operated discharge spout on its outer or upper end portion. It is also desirable for the spout to have sufficient movement in order to discharge the grain from the auger back and forth across the entire width of the semitrailer in order for the trailer to be fully loaded with grain and for the grain to be rounded at the top of the semi-trailer. It has further been found desirable for the power operated moveable or pivotal discharge spout to be controllable by the towing tractor operator so that as the operator moves the tractor and grain wagon along the length of the semi-trailer in incremental steps, the operator may also conveniently and precisely direct the grain back and forth across the width of the semi-trailer.
Such a structure enables the unloading auger to be efficiently operated at maximum speed in order to minimize the time required to transfer the grain from the grain wagon to the semi-trailer and to load the semi-trailer uniformly along its length. While it is known to have pivotable or adjustable discharge spouts or deflectors on grain conveyors, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,798,231, U.S. Pat. No. 1,847,433 and No. 5,343,995, no one has previously recognized the significant advantages of having a grain wagon discharge auger with a power operated moveable discharge spout which is remotely controllable by the operator of the towing tractor.